A conventional window envelope insert generally includes instruction indicia to instruct a user to align the pre-printed insert having window information thereon within the window of the envelope. However, on many occasions, the user fails to read the instructions and inadvertently places the insert in the envelope backwardly, or in an upside-down manner, or in an upside-down and backward manner, so that the window information disposed on the insert is not aligned in the envelope window. Thus, the window information or address is not exposed to view.
When the address on the insert is not properly exposed to view, unwanted post office delays can occur. Also, in the case of invoices, undesirable delays in payment thereof can result. Additionally, money or other forms of payment may well be lost.
Thus, there have been a number of attempts to overcome the problems of positioning properly a document insert within a window envelope. For example, reference may be made to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,601,318; 2,317,497; 3,391,854; and 4,334,618.
Thus, several attempts have been made to overcome the positioning problem. For example, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,391,854, conventional window envelopes have been designed with a mutilated corner to receive a computer punched card having a truncated or missing corner, so as to cause the shape of the interior of the envelope to conform to the shape of the card. In this manner, the card can only be inserted fully into the envelope in the desired manner Otherwise, the card can not be fully inserted, and thus the user is immediately alerted to the improper positioning.
However, although mutilating the envelope reduces the possibility of inserting a pre-addressed card into an envelope upside downwardly or backwardly, it requires that the envelope and the card both be mutilated. Thus, they do not present an aesthetically pleasing appearance. As a result, such a technique would not be satisfactory for use in business correspondence, such as where the envelope and insert combination is sent to a customer or client as an invoice. In other words, mutilated invoices and inserts are too undignified for such use.
Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have a window envelope and insert combination, which eliminate the mutilation problem entirely. Such a new envelope and window combination should enable the pre-addressed envelope insert to be positionable within the envelope properly, and yet alert the user immediately to an improper insertion.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,317,497 another attempted solution to the positioning problem, without resorting to the highly objectable mutilation technique, is shown. This solution employs the utilization of a window envelope with the window disposed nearer to one of the envelope corners than to any of the other corners and is in proximity to one end of the envelope so that a small insert card can be inserted into a large envelope and be retained in place within the window portion of the envelope by a stop formed by a strip of gum. This attempt has also proven to be less than completely satisfactory, in that the insert could still be improperly inserted, upside down or backward, and was limited to a generally small size.
Another attempt to solve the positioning problem, was to use strips of adhesive material positioned at substantially right angles to each other on the inside of the envelope so that the bottom and side flaps of the envelope would adhere to the strips and form a small pocket for receiving and retaining a small card or insert in the desired position relative to the window. While this attempted solution did not require the mutilation of the envelope and of the insert, it also has proven to be less than satisfactory, in that it can only accommodate small inserts and still did not solve the problem of the insert being positioned improperly within the envelope. In this regard, the small card can be inserted inadvertently in an upside down, or backward manner relative to the envelope window.
Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have a new and improved combination envelope and insert, as well as a method of using to reduce greatly, if not eliminate totally, the problem of a pre-printed insert being improperly inserted in the envelope. Such a combination should not require mutilation, nor the use of an insert which is smaller in size as compared to its envelope. Such a combination should permit utilization of an insert having dimensions that approximate the size of the envelope, with little modification of the envelope or of the insert.